High Court
Kerala High Court
Ernakulam
The Kerala High Court was established in 1956. It has jurisdiction over the state of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
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News & Updates Published
Order
FIR Ordered Against Pinarayi Vijayan, Veena Thaikkandiyil and Mohammed Riyas in CMRL-Exalogic Case: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court on October 9, 2026, directed the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to register an FIR in the CMRL-Exalogic case involving former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena Thaikkandiyil and his son-in-law Mohammed Riyas. Justice A. Badharudeen passed the order on a…
Order
Alleged Elbow Hit on Woman’s Chest Insufficient to Establish Intent to Outrage Modesty, Man Acquitted: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has acquitted Rajendran in a molestation case dating back to 2002, setting aside his conviction and sentence under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Justice Jobin Sebastian passed the order on September 30, 2026, while allowing Criminal Revision Petition No. 481 of 2007. The case arose…
Order
Police Directed to Strictly Enforce Public Smoking Ban and Conduct Awareness on Passive Smoking: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has disposed of a public interest litigation seeking strict enforcement of the legal ban on smoking in public places across Kerala. The petition was filed by Prof. Monamma Kokkad in WP(PIL) No. 195 of 2026, decided on October 7, 2026. The petitioner argued that directions issued by the High Court…
Order
Notaries Act Protection Unavailable for Forged Attestation in Signatory’s Absence: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has dismissed a petition filed by P. Imbichi Koya, a 67-year-old advocate and Kerala State Notary, seeking to quash criminal proceedings against him in a vigilance case involving an allegedly forged consent letter linked to a building permit. Justice A. Badharudeen passed the order on September…
Order
498A Case Against In-Laws Retained Over Allegations of Calling Daughter-in-Law a ‘Servant’ and ‘Cancer in Their Life’: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against Sreejith MS, the fourth accused in a matrimonial cruelty case, while refusing to end the case against his parents, Sasi MR and Shantha P.A. The order was passed by Justice G. Girish on 5 October 2026. The case arose from Crime No.64/2022 of Chottanikkara…
Order
20-Year Jail Term Upheld for Man Convicted of Repeated Sexual Assault on 12-Year-Old Niece: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has dismissed a criminal appeal challenging the conviction and sentence of the accused in a POCSO case tried by the Fast Track Special Court, Wadakkanchery. The case arose from Crime No. 977/2021 of Pazhayannur Police Station, Thrissur. The accused was convicted by the Special Court on 25.06.2024…
Judgment
Preventive Detention of BJP Councillor Sugathan R Quashed Over Procedural Lapses Under KAAPA: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has set aside the preventive detention of Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation Councillor Sugathan R under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 2007 (KAAPA), finding serious procedural lapses in the detention process. The petition was filed by his wife, Aswathi G R, challenging…
Judgment
Disability Does Not Extinguish Husband’s Duty to Maintain Wife, Kerala HC Upholds ₹10,000 Monthly Maintenance: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has dismissed R.P.F.C. No. 122 of 2024 and upheld an order directing the petitioner to pay ₹10,000 per month as maintenance to the respondent. The case arose from M.C. No. 137 of 2019 before the Family Court, Kottayam at Ettumanoor. The petitioner and respondent married on 1 August 2015. It was…
Order
Wife Declared Exclusive Owner of Jointly Registered Property, Husband Directed to Vacate House Within Three Months: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has declared Raslin the exclusive owner of a 2.8 Ares (7 cents) property and the building standing on it, in a matrimonial dispute involving her husband Shamsheer Kurudan Candy. The judgment was delivered on 26 September 2026 in Mat.Appeal Nos.84 and 581 of 2022. Raslin had claimed that her…
Judgment
YouTuber Thoppi Granted Anticipatory Bail, Kerala High Court Notes No Obscene or Sexually Coloured Remarks Were Directly Made by Him: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has granted anticipatory bail to Muhammed Nihad @ Thoppi in a case registered by Manjeri Police in Malappuram district over alleged objectionable remarks and the unauthorised display of a woman's photographs and videos during a YouTube livestream. The order was passed by Justice Dr. Kauser…
Order
Mere Relationship With Husband’s Family Insufficient for Domestic Violence Proceedings Without Proof of Shared Household: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has quashed proceedings under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 against two persons who were arrayed as the fourth and fifth respondents in a domestic violence case before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-IV, Kozhikode. The petitioners, who were the brother-in-law…
Order
Flag Insult Case Against Lakshadweep Man Quashed, Accidental Display of 'Saffron Down' Without Intent Not an Offence: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against Mohammed Kasim H.K., who was accused of insulting the Indian National Flag by sharing a photograph in which the saffron band appeared at the bottom. Justice A. Badharudeen held that the prosecution material did not indicate that the flag had been displayed…
Judgment
Preventive Detention of BJP Councillor Sugathan R Quashed Over Procedural Lapses Under KAAPA: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has set aside the preventive detention of Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation Councillor Sugathan R under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 2007 (KAAPA), finding serious procedural lapses in the detention process. The petition was filed by his wife, Aswathi G R, challenging…
Judgment
Disability Does Not Extinguish Husband’s Duty to Maintain Wife, Kerala HC Upholds ₹10,000 Monthly Maintenance: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has dismissed R.P.F.C. No. 122 of 2024 and upheld an order directing the petitioner to pay ₹10,000 per month as maintenance to the respondent. The case arose from M.C. No. 137 of 2019 before the Family Court, Kottayam at Ettumanoor. The petitioner and respondent married on 1 August 2015. It was…
Judgment
YouTuber Thoppi Granted Anticipatory Bail, Kerala High Court Notes No Obscene or Sexually Coloured Remarks Were Directly Made by Him: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has granted anticipatory bail to Muhammed Nihad @ Thoppi in a case registered by Manjeri Police in Malappuram district over alleged objectionable remarks and the unauthorised display of a woman's photographs and videos during a YouTube livestream. The order was passed by Justice Dr. Kauser…
Judgment
Bar Council Directed to Update List of Advocates Who Have Not Cleared AIBE Since 2021: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has directed the Bar Council of Kerala to update its list of advocates from 2021 onwards in relation to compliance with the All India Bar Examination (AIBE). The direction was issued by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V. M. on 23rd September, 2026. The…
Judgment
Domestic Violence Case Cannot Be Quashed Merely Due to Delay: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Mathews Wilson and Gracy Wilson, seeking to quash proceedings under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 pending before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-III, Thrissur. Mathews Wilson, aged 43, is the husband of Anu Mol, aged 38, while…
Judgment
Consensual Relationship Cannot Constitute an Offence Due to Failed Promise of Marriage, FIR Quashed: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court considered a case involving Zahid Shanavas, who was the sole accused in Crime No. 219 of 2026 of Vazhakkulam Police Station, Ernakulam. The case concerned allegations that he had sexual intercourse with the de facto complainant after promising to marry her and later asked her to abort a child…
Judgment
Married Woman Voluntarily Accompanying Man to Hotel Cannot Claim Sexual Relationship Was Induced by Promise of Marriage: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court at Ernakulam has quashed an FIR and all further proceedings against Habibur Rahman, the sole accused in a case registered at Kovalam Police Station. The case alleged that he promised to marry the de facto complainant, took her to a hotel on 3 November 2025, and had sexual intercourse with her…
Judgment
Love Relationship Has No Relevance When Victim Is a Minor, 10-Year POCSO Sentence Upheld: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has dismissed the criminal appeal filed by Reji and upheld his conviction and sentence in a case involving the sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl. Justice A. Badharudeen delivered the judgment on September 1, 2026, holding that an alleged love relationship or consensual sexual activity has no…
Judgment
NIA Cannot Recover Salary Paid to Public Prosecutor During Deputation Based on Subsequent Pay Re-Fixation: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has delivered a significant verdict stating that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) cannot recover salary paid to a Public Prosecutor during his deputation period based on a subsequent pay re-fixation. The court observed that the pay fixed at the time of deputation and the subsequent…
Judgment
Christian Women Allowed to File Divorce Cases Where They Currently Reside: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has held that a Christian wife seeking dissolution of marriage can file her divorce petition before the District Court or Family Court having jurisdiction over the place where she is residing when the petition is filed. The Court clarified that this remains possible even if the marriage was…
Judgment
Reporting an Official Arrest Without Defamatory Intent Cannot Attract Criminal Case: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has quashed criminal defamation proceedings against the Chief Editor, Editor and Reporter of Malayala Manorama, holding that merely reporting an official arrest on the basis of an official occurrence report does not automatically amount to criminal defamation. The Court emphasised that the…
Judgment
Placing a Vibrating Device on a Minor Victim's Vaginal Opening Constitutes Penetrative Sexual Assault: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by a man convicted of sexually assaulting a minor girl in Ernakulam in 2019. The court confirmed the 10-year rigorous imprisonment awarded by the Fast Track Special Court, Perumbavoor, and upheld the conviction under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences…
Order
Christian Man’s Parents and Siblings Need Not Be Made Parties to Motor Accident Claim if He Is Survived by Widow and Children: Kerala High Court
In a significant judgment, the Kerala High Court clarified that the non-lineal kindred of a deceased Christian male—such as siblings—need not be impleaded in a compensation claim under Section 166 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, when he is survived by a widow and children. The ruling was delivered by Justice…
Order
Forgery Need Not Result in Monetary Loss; Conviction for Fake University Certificates Upheld Citing Harm to Academic Integrity: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has held that forgery under Section 465 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) can be established even in the absence of monetary loss, as long as the act causes non-pecuniary injury affecting body, mind, reputation, or institutional credibility. Justice P.V. Balakrishnan delivered the judgment on…
Order
Wife Not Disentitled to Maintenance Under Section 144 BNSS If Income from Temporary Job Is Insufficient: Kerala High Court
The High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam has delivered a detailed order deciding two connected revision petitions filed by husband Rajeevan M and wife Jeesha P along with their minor children, relating to the question of maintenance under Section 125 CrPC and Section 20 of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956.…
Order
State Pulled Up for Abandoning Pizhala–Kadamakudy Bridge; Court Terms It a ‘Fraud on People’ and Seeks Clarity on Project Status: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court recently pulled up the state government over delays in the construction of the Pizhala-Kadamakudy Bridge, a project whose administrative sanction was granted as early as October 2017. The case relates to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by residents of Valiya Kadamakkudy Island seeking…
Order
Suo Motu Proceedings Initiated to Improve Mediation Centres; Amicus Appointed: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has initiated a suo motu writ petition emphasising the urgent need to upgrade and strengthen mediation and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) centres across the State. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. took up the matter after noting serious…
Order
CIT(A) Order Quashed as Assessee Missed Hearing Due to Faulty VC Link and Hearing Email Sent at 3 AM: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has delivered a significant judgment concerning a taxpayer’s right to be heard under the Income Tax Act, 1961, particularly in the context of faceless assessment and faceless appeals. Justice Ziyad Rahman A.A. examined whether the petitioner was denied a genuine opportunity to participate in the…
Order
ECI’s Order Delisting Registered Unrecognised Political Parties in the State Stayed: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court on Thursday, 20 November 2025, granted interim protection to several political parties that were recently delisted from the register of Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) by the Election Commission of India. Justice V.G. Arun issued an interim stay, allowing candidates of these…
Order
Consensual Affair with Married Woman Does Not Constitute Rape on Promise of Marriage: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against a 38-year-old man accused of rape and cheating, ruling that his long-term intimate relationship with the complainant was fully consensual and not induced by any false promise of marriage. The decision was delivered in the case Pradeep v The Station House…
Order
Government Is Obligated to Disclose All Statutory Restrictions on Re-Registration of Vehicles It Auctions: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has ruled that the Government and its instrumentalities have a duty to disclose all statutory bars, restrictions, or limitations on vehicles auctioned by them. The judgment came in a writ petition filed by Jibin Shaji, who purchased a Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) that originally belonged to the…
Order
Standard Multiplier Need Not Be Applied Mechanically in Motor Accident Claims When Victim Dies Due to Unrelated Causes: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court recently delivered a significant judgment regarding the assessment of disability compensation in motor accident cases when the injured claimant dies due to reasons unconnected to the accident. A division bench comprising Justice Sathish Ninan and Justice P. Krishna Kumar examined appeals in a…
Order
A Man Entering a New Marriage for ‘Greener Pasture’ Does Not Convert Prior Consensual Relationship into ‘Rape’: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court delivered a significant judgment interpreting Section 376 IPC, Section 493 IPC, Section 496 IPC, and Section 198 CrPC, while examining whether consensual sexual relations can later be treated as rape on the ground of a broken promise of marriage. Background Of The Case The petitioner Pradeep…
Order
Maintenance for Elderly Mother Upheld; Gulf-Based Son’s Challenge under Sections 125/144 BNSS Rejected: Kerala High Court
A recent order of the Kerala High Court has brought fresh attention to the responsibility of children under Section 144 BNSS dealing with parental maintenance. The judgment, delivered by Justice Kauser Edappagath, involved a dispute between a Gulf-based son and his elderly mother who approached the Family Court…
Delay in Challenging Family Court Orders in Matrimonial Disputes Can Be Fatal as Parties May Alter Their Marital Status: Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court has observed that delay in challenging orders passed by Family Courts in matrimonial disputes, particularly in matters relating to dissolution of marriage, can be fatal because parties may alter their marital status after the expiry of the appeal period. The Court emphasized that great care and…
About the Kerala High Court
The Kerala High Court was established in 1956. It has jurisdiction over the state of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
Seat
Ernakulam
State / UT
Kerala
Region
South India
